Electric-trolley-railway signal system.



B. M. DOWNS & W. S. COOK.

ELECTRIC TROLLEY RAILWAY SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION HLED NOV. 1?. 1915.

3. 2 l 4, Patented Jan. 30, 1917,

INVENTDRE W146 THY ATTGRNE x5.

pairs are PATENT onion.

BENJAMIN M. DO'WNS, OF BUFFALO, AND WALTER S. 080K, LACKAVTANNA, NEWYORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 17, 1915.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, BENJAMIN M. DOWNS, a citizen of the United States,residin at Bult'alo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, andWALTER S. COOK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lacka wanna,in the county of Erie and Eltate of New York, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Electric-Trolley-Railway Signal Systems, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to an electric trolley railway signal systemwhich is designed more particularly for use in a one track railwayhaving sidings at intervals to enable cars or trains to pass each other,although this system may also be used in other railway installations.

it is the objectof this invention to provide a simple, ellicient andcomparatively inexpensive signal system whereby a car or train enteringa certain block of the railway system will automatically give a signalat the opposite end of this block and thus notify the operator of atrain or car at the last mentioned end of the block to remain on thesiding or keep out of the way of the train first to enter the block,said signal system being so designed that when the car or train whichgave the signal leaves the opposite end of the block the signal will beautomatically cut out.

The accompanying drawing represents a diagrammatic View showing thepreferred embodiment of our invention in a railway system containing asingle main track and one or more side tracks, the main track and theside tracks forming difierent sections of the railway which enabletrains or cars to pass each other while going either in the same or inopposite directions.

In the drawings, 1 represents the main track forming one section of therailway and 2, 3 sidings arranged at opposite ends of a block of therailway and forming sections of the same which may be taken by cars ortrains in order to permit different trains or cars to pass each otherwhile moving either in the same direction or in opposite directions. Inthe drawings the main track is so constructed that the same gives theright of way over the same for cars passing from leftto right while thesidings are constructed so that they are taken by cars pass ing from theright to left.

SYSTEM.

Patented Jan. 36), 1917.

Serial No. 61,917.

at represents an electric trolley car running on the main track at theleft of the siding 2 and engaging its trolley 5 with the main overheadtrolley wire 6, and 7 represents a trolley car running on the main trackat the right of the siding 3 and engaging its trolley 8 with the maintrolley wire. The car a is about to enter a block of the railway systemat the left hand end thereof and the car 7 is about to enter the sameblock at the right hand end thereof. The trolley of the car 4: passingfrom left to right remains continuously on the main trolley wire whilethis car travels over the main track, but the car 7 while taking thesidings 2, 3 of the railway track engages its trolley with trolley wiresidings or sections 3-), 10 corresponding to the sidings 2, 3 of therailway track. All of the foregoing may be of any suitable and wellknown construction such as are now commonly found in electric trolleyrailway installations.

Our improved signal system which is combined with the electric trolleyrailway system just described is preferably constructed as follows: 11,12 represent two electric signal devices arranged adjacent to oppositeends of a block of the railway system so that they may be observed bytrains or cars approaching this block from opposite ends. These signaldevices may be of any suitable character so as to give either an audibleor visible indication but the same preferably consist of electric lampseach of which has one of its sides or terminals connected with therailway track by a wire 13 or otherwise. H represents a main lineclosing con tact arranged adjacent to the main trolley wire at the leftend of the block and connected by a wire 15 or otherwise with theopposite side of the signal lamp 12 at the other end of the block, and16 represents a closing contact arranged adjacent to the siding section10 of the trolley wire at the right hand end of the block and connectedby a wire 17 or otherwise with the opposite side or terminal of the lamp11 at the left end of the railway block. The main line closing contact14: is arranged so close to the main trolley wire that the same will beengaged by the trolley 5 of the car 4 moving from left to right over themain track and thereby close the electric circuit between the trolleywire and this closing contact and causing the lamp 152 at the right handend Cir of the block to be illuminated, whereby the conductor of a train7 occupying the right hand siding 3 or about to enter the same isnotified to take this siding and stay there until the left hand car 4has passed toward the right over the main track beyond the right handsiding. In like manner the left signal lamp 11 is illuminated when theright car 7 takes the siding 3 and its trolley 8 connects the sidingclosing contact 16 with the trolley wire siding section 10, therebynotifying the conductor of the left ear 4 to remain on the main trackbetween the ends of the siding 2 in order to permit the cars to passeach other in this block.

inasmuch as the connection between the main closing contact 14 and thetrolley wire is again broken immediately after the trolley of the lefthand car passes toward the right beyond this contact, the right handsignal lamp 12 would immediately become eatinguished if no means wereprovided to maintain this lamp lighted until the left hand car passesthis lamp at the right. hand end of the block. In order to keep thisright hand lamp lighted until the left hand car has passed the righthand siding, retaining means are provided which comprise an electricallyoperated switch having two contacts the fixed member 18 of which ispreferably connected byv a branch wire 20 with that side of the righthand lamp 12 with which the main closing contact 14 is connected whileits movable contact 19 is connected by a wire 21 and other conductorswith the trolley wire. The movable contact 19 is normally held out ofengagement from the fixed contact 18 by a spring and the same ispreferably constructed to also form part of the armature 23 of aretaining electromagnet by pivoting this movable contactadjacent to thepole of the coil 24 of this magnet. One end of this coil is connectedwith the railway track by a wire 25 while its opposite end is connectedby a wire 26 with the right hand lamp '12 on that side of the latterwith which the contacts 14, 19 are connected. It follows from thisconstruction that when the circuit through the right hand lamp 12 isclosed from the trolley wire to the railway track by engagement of theleft hand trolley 5 with the left hand main closing contact 14, that apart of this current also passes through the wire 20, coil 24 and wire25 to the railway track, whereby this coil attracts the armature 33 andcauses the movable contact 19 to move forward and the fixed contact 18.The circuit across the trolley wire and tracks including the right handsignal lamp 12 and the coil 24 now remains closed notwithstanding thatthe left hand trolley 5 leaves the left hand main closing contact 14 sothat the right hand lamp remains lighted and the left hand retainingcoil 24 remains enerhand signal lamp 12 will be extinguished gized, atwhich time the current passes through a divided circuit which includesthe wire 21, armature 23, contacts 19, 18 and wire 15 to one side of theright hand lamp 12 and wire 26, coil 24 and wire 25 to the railwaytrack.

Means are provided whereby when the left hand trolley car 4 reaches theright hand end of the respective block the right automatically, themeans for this purpose being preferably constructed as follows: 27, 28represent the movable and fixed contacts of a restoring switch whichupon be- I ing engaged with each other form part of the auxiliarycircuit of which the wires 20 21, left coil 24, right lamp 12, theretaining switch contacts 18, 19 and the armature 23 also form a part.The movable restoring switch contact 27 is preferably formed on anarmature 29 which is adapted to be attracted by the pole of anelectromagnet the coil 30 of which has'one end connected with therailway track by the wire 25 while its opposite end is connected with arestoring electric contact, 31 arranged adjacent to the main trolleywire at the right hand end of the block. The armature 29 is preferablypivoted and normally held in its retracted position by means of a spring52 so as to engage the contacts 27, 28 when the restoring coil 30 is notenergized.

A ssuming that the trolley of the left hand car 4 upon entering thecorresponding end of the block has engaged its trolley 5 with the leftclosing contact 14 so asto light the right lamp 12 and energize thevleftretaining coil 24 and engage the contacts 18, 19, and this trolley haspassed toward the right beyond this closing contact and thereafter theclosing of the circuit across the trolley wire ant track forilluminating the right lamp is due to the attraction of the coil 24which closes the contacts 18, 19, then the 7 parts remain in thisposition until the trolley of the left car engages with the restor ingcontact 31 at the right hand end of the block. When this occurs anelectric cur; rent is conducted from the main trolley wire through therestoring coil 30 and to the track which causes the restoring coil tobecome energized and attract the companion armature 29, therebydisengaging the movable contact 27 from the fixed contact 28 andbreaking the auxiliary circuit across the trolley wire and trackcontaining the left retaining coil 24 and the right lamp 12. This lampis now extinguished and the left coil 24 is deenergized whereby thearmature 23 of the latter is retracted by the spring 22 and the contacts18, 19 of the companion switch are separated, thereby restoring thesignal mechanism to its normal inoperative position. The instant thetrolley of the left hand car 4 escapes from the right hand 1 restoringcontact 31 the restoring coil becomes deenergized and its armature isagain retracted by the respective spring 52 so that the restoring switchcontacts 27, 28 are again engaged preparatory to forming part of anelectric circuit across the trollev wire and track.

l/Vhen the right hand car 7 is the first to take the right hand tracksiding 3 the signal lamp 11 at the left hand end of the block isilluminated in the same manner so as to notify an approaching left handcar or train to keep on the main track between the ends of the left handsiding 2 in order to permit the cars to pass each other. The closing ofthe left hand signal lamp 11 for this purpose is effected by engagementof the trolley 8 of the right hand car 7 with the siding closing contact'16 arranged adjacent to the right hand siding trolley wire section 10,whereby a circuit is established across the trolley wire and the trackwhich includes the wires 13, 17, left hand signal lamp 11 and causes thelatter to be illuminated. Part of this cross current from the trolleywire to the track due to engagement of the right hand trolley 8 with thesiding closing contact 16 passes through the coil 32 of a right handretaining electro-magnet, and wire 25 to the railway track which lastmentioned retaining coil when energized operates to attract an armature33 which is pivoted adjacent to the pole of this coil and is normallyheld in an attracted position by means of a spring et. As the armature33 moves forward under the attraction of the coil 32 a retaining switchcomposed of a movable contact on this armature and a fixed contact 36are engaged so as to close an auxiliary retaining circuit which isformed partly by a wire 37 connecting the fixed contact with the wire 17and a wire 38 connecting the armature 33 with the armatures 23, 29 sothat when the right hand trolley8 leaves the siding closing contact 16 acircuit across the trolley wire and track will still be maintained whichincludes the right hand closing coil 32 and the left hand signal lamp 11and thereby keeps the latter illuminated.

hen the right hand car 7 reaches the siding at the left hand end of theblock its trolley 8 engages with a restoring contact 39 adjacent to theleft hand siding section 9 of the trolley wire which contact isconnected by a wire 40 with that side of the restoring coil 30 oppositeto that which is connected with the track, whereby the last mentionedcoil becomes energized and at tracts its armature 29 so that thecontacts 27 28 of the restoring switch are separated and the auxiliarycircuit across the trolley wire and track containing the right hand coil32 and left signal lamp 11 is broken. The armature 33 of the right handclosing coil is now retracted by its spring 3e and the switch contacts35, 36 are separated and the left hand signal lamp 11 is extinguished,thereby restoring the parts to the normal position preparatory to givingthe next signal.

It will be noted from the foregoing description that each car or trainupon entering one end of the block illuminates the signal lamp at theopposite end of the block and when this car leaves the block the signalthus given is automatically extinguished. In the particular organizationof our invention which is shown in the drawings one of the retainingmagnets operates to close a retaining switch which holds the companionlamp in circuit after the trolley of the respective car or train hastemporarily closed the electric circuit through this coil and thecompanion lamp, but the restoring switch 27, 28 controlled by therestoring electromagnet coil 32 operates to automatically break thecircuit through both of the closing coils and the signal lamps atopposite ends of the block when trolley cars pass out from the block ateither end thereof.

The several electro-magnet coils which electrically operate theretaining and restoring switches are so wound that they offer acomparatively high resistance and each coil is arranged in a circuitdirectly across the trolley wire and track, so that only a small amountof the electric current passes through any one of these coils when thesame is in circuit, and only that coil is energized which is included ina direct circuit across the trolley and track while those coils whichare not in a direct circuit across the trolley wire and track are notenergized. By this means the engagement of a trolley with either of thetrolley wire closing contacts 14: or 16 at one end of the block willonly illuminate the signal lamp at the opposite end of the block.

.Ve claim as our invention:

1. An electric trolley railway signal system comprising an electricsignaling device having one terminal connected with the railway trackupon which the car runs, a closing contact connected with the otherterminal of said signal device and arranged adjacent to one part of thetrolley wire so as to be electrically connected therewith by the trolleyof the car as the latter passes the respective part of the track andtrolley wire, a closing electro-magnet having an armature and a coil oneend of which is connected with said track while the other end isconnected with that side of said signal device with which said closingcontact is connected, a retaining switch having contacts which areadapted to be engaged by the forward movement of said armature whenattracted by energizing said coil and one of which is connected withsaid trolley wire while the other is connectedwith said signal deviceand coil on the same side as said closing contact, an opening contactarranged adjacent to another part of said trolley wire and adapted to beelectrically connected therewith by the passage of said trollcy anopening electro-rnagnet having an armature and a coil one end of whichis connected with said opening contact and the other being connectedwith said railway track, and a restoring switch which is arranged in thecircuit of said retaining switch and the contacts of which are adaptedto be separated by the forward movement of the restoring armatur underthe attraction of the restoring coil when the latter is energized.

2. An electric trolley railway signal system comprising a track havingdifferent sections over which cars are adapted to run in oppositedirections respectively a trolley wire having sections which are engagedrespectively by the trolley of said cars running in opposite directionstwo pairs of trolley contacts arranged at opposite ends of a railwayblock and each pair comprising a closing contact which is adapted to beelectrically connected with one section of the trolley Wire by thetrolley as a car moves in one direction on one track section and anopening contact which is adapted to be electrically connected with theother sec tion of the trolley wire by the trolley as the car moves inthe opposite direction on another track section, two closingelectromagnets each having an armature and a coil, one end of both coilsbeing connected. with said track and the other end of one coil beingconnected with the closing contact at one end of the railway block whileing two contacts one of which is connected with the trolley wire and theother with that side oi one of the signal lamps and the companionclosing coil with which one of the closing contacts is connected and thecontacts of each retaining switch adapted to be engaged by the forwardmovement of the armature of one of said closing coils when the latterbecomes energized an opening electro-magnet having an armature and acoil one end of which is connected with said track while the other endthereof is connected with both of said opening contacts at oppositeendsot said block, and a restoring switch which is arranged in thecircuit of both of said retaining switches and the contacts of which areadapted to be separated by the forward movementof the restoring armatureunder the attraction of the restoring OOll when the latter is energized.

BENJAMIN M. Downs. WALTER s. coon.

flopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

